Navigate:

Opinion Contributor

Behind Okla.'s 'Save our State' vote

Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment on Nov. 2 that forbids judges from taking Sharia law and international law into consideration when making decisions. A federal judge has already blocked it from taking effect.

But this doesn’t address what motivated the vote: a growing fear of immigrants and foreigners. Oklahomans’ fear that they are under threat was palpable — the initiative was known as the “Save our State” amendment.

Text Size

-

+

reset

POLITICO 44

Two other initiatives also passed that day — one making English the required language for all “official actions,” the other that all voters must show a photo ID.

This English-only measure, said Rep. George Fraught, would help immigrants assimilate into the U.S. culture and economy — implying that immigrants are not learning English now. The voter identification law was motivated by fears that undocumented immigrants, who are not entitled to vote, were flocking to polls and fraudulently casting ballots.

None of these threats are real.

No one is imposing Sharia law in the courts of Oklahoma — or anywhere else in the nation. Any effort to do so is barred by the Constitution’s separation of church and state. As for “international law,” the only international law that becomes U.S. law is in the treaties that the Senate ratifies.

Meanwhile, studies show that Latino immigrants are learning English and assimilating at the same rates as the immigrants who came from Western Europe in the early 1900s. Allegations of voter fraud committed by immigrants are rarely proved true.

Yet Texas is now clamoring to pass similar laws. And politicians like Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who has pushed for an electrified fence along the Mexico-U.S. border, are poised to take over powerful positions on House committees that cover immigration policy.

Such nationwide fears might indicate the United States is not ready to reform its immigration laws. But if anything, Oklahoma’s voters have signaled how urgently we need comprehensive immigration reform.

Many aspects of U.S. immigration law make it harder to assimilate, and so help perpetuate these fears about immigration. Backlogs keep spouses and children of U.S. citizens and spouses waiting for 10 to 20 years to be reunited with their families. Many try to enter unlawfully — causing more families to live in the shadows.

Sweeping deportation actions then tear many of these families apart. Children brought to the United States without status by their parents often end up speaking English just like U.S. citizens — but have no hope of gaining lawful status and becoming citizens of the only country they know.

Undocumented workers now raise children, build houses and grow a lot of the food for U.S. citizens. But they are reluctant to report workplace violations — making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Oklahoma’s voters are not completely wrong: American values are incompatible with the presence of a large, disenfranchised population of people with limited rights.

It’s time for politicians to address the real problems — rather than cater to fears and make unnecessary, expensive changes at the fringes of the real problem.

Comprehensive immigration reform should include a path to legalization for the more than 12 million estimated undocumented immigrants, which would protect workers’ rights, keep families together and uphold the American values of democracy and diversity.

Though Oklahoma voters might be surprised to hear it, such immigration reform would not only uphold U.S. values and our Constitution — it would be in keeping with the same international human rights laws they rejected at the ballot box.

Grace Meng is a researcher for the U.S. program at Human Rights Watch.

It seems that some basic education on our Constitution, and laws would do a whole lot of good. I kept watching the various Tea Party backed candidates on talk shows, and in debates, and was struck by the realization that I'm not sure they could pass a college level U.S. government class, let alone a 5th grade social studies test.

I realize that there has been some rebellion against the "elite" in this country, led by the Tea Party, but it appears by such measures as were passed by Oklahoma voters, and in Arizona that our education system is severely failing these people.

It’s not just the Tea Party voters that are suffering from this appalling lack of education about our form of government, and our laws, but they are the most prominent examples. Most other people try to hide their ignorance, not wave it around like a flag.

JOHNP80, WHAT AN ARROGANT POMPOUS ARSE YOU ARE. THE FREAKING COURT IN CALIFORNIA JUST RULED THAT THE TAXPAYERS HAVE TO FUND ILLEGAL ALIENS TUITION. APPARENTLY THE THING EVERYONE FEARS IS COMING TRUE BECAUSE OF CRAZY LIB/PROGRESSIVES. DON'T NEED TO PASS A TEST TO KNOW THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEM PARTY ARE DANGEROUS AND THEY ARE ALSO through.

What hog wash. Over 30,000 killed in drug war on US borders 9-11, Millions of illegals and sons in gangs in the US selling drugs and death. Look at the wanted posters in see who is doing most crimes. Their are more Hispanic gang members that all other races fact. If illegals were not a drain on the economy and crime do you think Americans would be so concerned about illegals.Pick up a news paper from any big city see yourself. Americans are now lowered to give reasons why we don't want illegals.In one word illegal and billions in services paid for American tax payers.Americans want a secure border,

Where do you live Ms. Meng? Our citizens on the US/Mexican border are being murdered and all you can say is that more chain migration is needed in this country...forget the security and welfare of Americans. We currently have laws but the administration is ignoring them. We wouldn't have any of the problems you articulate if THE BORDER WAS SECURE. The Judicial and Executive branches are out of control and we are seeing the people take back their state rights.

Americans see how they try to confuse the issue,They call illegals immigration, immigration,Another good ploy is to say we are tearing their families apart. Take your families with you when you leave. I could never my parents leaving and not taking me with them what kind of parents are these people..to let their family be torn apart for a few dollars more. Yes you can round up all the illegals fine them for what they stole from America and put them on a bus and send them off.Give them a month to leave.America has over 20 million illegals that we know nothing about.How safe is that? illegals voting I know they do with false identification they vote several times.Bottom line if you are illegal you don't belong in America. You have slot of pro illegal and pro Muslim propaganda on theses post.More and More they try to twist the truth.don't let them

We at this stage of the game are NOT stable economically to sustain more people in America.

If anything there should be a MORATORIUM on ALL IMMIGRATION for several years to get our House in order and the MESS within the United States cleaned up BEFORE WE add more people. Do any Politicians in Washington have any Common Sense or are they just so Power Hungry??

Again, we can and we should - clean house, seal the borders, revise what we need to, then start fresh. Where there is a will there is a way. Or is spending our money willy nilly easier?

We at this stage of the game are NOT stable economically to sustain more people in America.

If anything there should be a MORATORIUM on ALL IMMIGRATION for several years to get our House in order and the MESS within the United States cleaned up BEFORE WE add more people. Do any Politicians in Washington have any Common Sense or are they just so Power Hungry??

Again, we can and we should - clean house, seal the borders, revise what we need to, then start fresh. Where there is a will there is a way. Or is spending our money willy nilly easier?

?It's not a fear of immigrants that result in these laws. It a desire for immigrants to enter the country, using the legal pathway that has been established. Immigrants desire to learn English. Legal immigrants that become citizens can easily vote. These people deserve our respect and support. We accept more than a million legal immigrants annually. More than Germany, Mexico, Korea, Brazil or Russia. We welcome more immigrants than the rest of the world combined.

It's a realization that 12 million (or more) illegal residents are tearing at the fabric of this nation. When millions of people disregard our laws and ignore our traditions, we are entitled to get upset.

How many people would we need to accept, in order to eliminate any back log, in the system - Five million, ten million ? Would this stop the flow of illegal residents or encourage even more people to come here illegally ?

When we educate, feed, cloth and provide medical care to families that have come here illegally or based their presence here, on some type of illegal entry, do we encourage more illegal behavior ? I believe the answer is yes. Therefore we must stop all benefits and services for every illegal resident and deny them the ability to vote. The mere presence of an illegal residents distorts our Congressional representation.

More importantly, we need E-verify. We must "turn off" the jobs magnet that attracts illegal residents.

At some point, we must stop the inflow of illegal residents or suffer the consequences. I propose that Calif. is suffering from the acceptance of too many illegal residents. They are facing a budget short fall of 25 billion.

People are not fearful of immigrants, but we do fear illegal immigration. There's nothing wrong with the "people", but the "process". In this country, you can't look at someone and determine their immigration status. However, we can look at society and observe the detrimental effects caused by too many people disregarding our laws.

Without proper immigration enforcement from the federal govt., the states are forced to implement measures against illegal immigration. I applaud the state of OK. The state of TX has also introduced enforcement legislation. I suspect fifteen or more addition states will do this. If the DOJ is going to fight the states, it will be very, very busy !

No one is imposing Sharia law in the courts of Oklahoma — or anywhere else in the nation.

These are the two biggest lies it's been my displeasure to read lately.

First, While voter fraud is not rampant in Oklahoma it's real, it's been observed, and the only reason it has not been proven is witness intimidation and you must convince a jury, not an easy thing to do.

Second. Sharia law, Do a little research on Sharia law in Tennesee and New Jersey before you make such ignorant statements Ms. Meng.

Maybe my being born and raised in Oklahoma and now living in Texas has something to do with my over ego, but I don't give a darn what this limp-wristed sissy has to say about our laws. We aren't playing patty-cake with those that would do us harm, either physically or politically. When we see evil or corruption, SEE DEMOCRAT PARTY, we reject it. We head it off at the pass. (Cowboy analogy). Yes , I'm a big cowboy, 6' 4" by 230 lbs. and I do have horses, and I've been an oilfield roughneck and I fear no man, certainly not the girly men you find on the coasts. If you don't like that talk, then stay the hell out because that's what we're about, protecting our own and what is ours..